Sunday, 12 February 2012

All Because of BOUNTY???

Hiya, how was your weekend?

I’m happy ‘cos now I have two new followers. Ehn, I know there’s no reason to be so happy but two more followers is something joor. At least to me. My growth as a blogger is a slow process, I know, but I’m being patient enough to wait for that period when I will have my growth spurt.

Thanks LDP and JO for following my blog.

Now to the tori of the day. I know you’re looking at the title and wondering "what about BOUNTY?" But I’ll talk about that later in the post, because actually it’s divided into two. First I’ll be pondering on what makes people find it so easy to lie, then I’ll be talking about the Bounty story.

One of my watchwords ever since I’ve known myself is ‘Honesty is the best policy’ and seriously I’ve tried with the help of God to remain honest in all I do. I’m not claiming to be any saint o, but I’ve always been of the opinion that in everything we do, we should be honest even when it looks like we might get killed for trying to be or even if being dishonest will fetch us something supposedly ‘good’ without us getting caught.

Early this semester in school, I was late for one of my laboratory classes. It was my first time late for that class and I was distraught because I knew it meant I wouldn’t catch the introduction to the work for the day, which always comes early before we start the real practicals and because I knew I stood the risk of being sent out of the lab for that day. Well I wasn’t the only one who was late. The lecturer sha said he was not going to let us in, then people started begging, "Excuse me sir, this will be the last time", "I came to the class earlier, but I went out to buy something", "I ‘m coming from a lecture..." Basically all kind of excuses. The lecturer decided to let us off, but on one condition, that we wrote an "affidavit" promising not to ever come late for the class. Obviously we were supposed to include our name in it. Me, I thought to myself, ‘well what’s the big deal’, I tore out a sheet of paper and started creating the perfect piece of writing like I love to...lol.. I had begun to write when I noticed that the almost 30 others I was late with were writing fake names on their affidavit. I was worried o, because I wondered what prompted them to, because personally I didn’t even feel the lecturer was going to take the whole thing serious and the loose sheets of paper will probably get lost in his office. I wrote my real name, submitted my paper and proceeded to start the work for the day. But, I still had the whole thing on my mind, because seriously I really don’t understand how the human mind works and why people do the stuff they do.

Lying has become such a fad, that if you don’t know how to lie, or better still cheat, you’re either described as ‘holy holy’ or as a ‘mumu’. Because I’m very sure that day gan some people were looking at me like, "see this mumu writing her real name". But to me if I get into trouble, I get into trouble, because after all I always try my possible best to stay out of trouble.

The above is just one of the many examples of cases where I try my best to understand why lying is so easy to do. People cheat on exams like it’s no big deal. The annoying part is that they would have read o, but they just feel they must cheat sha, if not they will not pass. At least that’s what I think. Because, remember I don’t understand people o.

Last year on boxing day, I was having a discussion, or rather listening to a discussion among my dad, my uncles, my cousins and brother and my brother was talking about the utter disrespect he had for people who cheated on exams when he was in the university. He said if he saw such people in the future and he was asked to vote them into a place of power he would rather not. "Cos na from small e dey start".

We complain our leaders are bad, they are dishonest, they are this, they are that. But you, look at yourself in the mirror. If you can find it so easy to cheat on tests, cheat the market woman selling indomie to you or vice versa, how much more when you get into power. If you can’t be trusted in little things, how about when you are given much more. Look at Luke 16:10

That was a digression, just a bit. Nyways my uncle spoke and told my brother that, funny it’s those kind of people that end up getting into power when they grow up. And he was very right!!!!

To my second story of the day which actually gave me the zeal to write this post.

Okay, this evening o I went to one provisions store on my campus to get something. When I got there, there was a small crowd. Finally it got to my turn, but there was this guy who had been there since complaining that he had paid for ‘pure water’, but the only lady selling had not answered his request. Just then another guy came into the store. The ‘manager’. The manager gave the guy the pure water. The guy was still standing there sha. Then he started asking how much Bounty Chocolate is. The lady didn’t answer. They were too many people to attend to. The manager came to the rescue and gave the guy the Bounty and then went into the inner room of the store, while the guy remained waiting for his change. The girl selling finally paid him attention and asked tiredly, ‘has the manager given you the bounty’ and guess what, the boy said ‘No’ innocently. I was shocked and watched as the lady opened the fridge and gave him another Bounty as she fished out his change. Seriously I thought the guy had forgotten he had been given Bounty already or maybe I was the one that thought he had been given Bounty. Just then I looked into his carrier bag and lo and behold was a Bounty already sitting there comfortably, while he added the second one to it. Oh, I felt like telling, really I did; that might sound babyish. I mean he had lied, he had stolen. What a mess!!!!! Even when he went I still felt like telling, but I kept it to myself.

Now back in my room, I’m thinking to myself, ‘Should I just have blurted out that he had one already or was it best what I did, minding my own business’. I feel kinda bad for the lady, ‘cos she didn’t know.

Anyhows, I hope I get over it. But that’s what prompted me to write this new post before I sleep.

6 comments:

I also cannot find it in me to respect people who deliberately lie or cheat, especially in little things. I think you should have pointed out to that guy and the salesgirl that he had been given a bounty previously. he would probably have claimed to forget, but you won't be part of it. Hmmm...naija sha. The painful part is that your uncle was right that such people move into places of authority.

I can't understand why people are so comfortable with lying and cheating as if they are normal ways of life. It's not that I am more holier, but I just can't see how those ways uplift an individual. Haven't you also heard of 'official age' being different from 'biological age'?

As for the Bounty story, don't take the blame for the guy's moral shoddiness. The reason you were not able to report against him was just because you were too surprised beyond what your impulse could positively respond to. That happens. Don't be too hard on yourself and you are in no way an indirect accomplice by not immediately speaking out. At least you have spoken to us about it on this space.

Truly too many people have built their life on the rotten foundation of lies - cheating through school and all! Its sad...would add not to be too hard on yourself but prepare for the next time you see an ill. You probably didn't speak up because you were not prepared.Mentally prepare yourself to react to such situations so you'll not be caught unawares!!Its important because there are more people lying and living a lie than people prepared to not only 'not live that life' but also speak against it. All the best dear!